Meditation Or Medications: A Battle of Importance Between the Body and the Mind -By Abass Lateefat Elizabeth

The human body breaks down. Of course, this is no new knowledge or anything to be surprised over. We are not machines that can work all day and that need servicing sometimes, which they get and soon, they are back on track. But the human body not only breaks down, the human mind does as well. Now is one more severe than the other? That depends on what you know about the damages on both of them.

For example, Medications are administered to physical or life threatening issues; things like accidents, burns, diseases, body pains and other bodily affecting conditions and nearly two-third of these conditions have Medications that can either stop or suppress these conditions for a long period of time. This is meant to serve the human body and improve the quality of one’s physical condition.

Improving the condition of the body is necessary as we use the body for vigorous activities, resulting in loss of energy or depleted strength. Neither of these can be avoided. However, the human mind carries a lot more activity than the human body despite the brain weighing between 1.2kg – 1.4kg.

Thoughts, imaginations, ideas, plans and decisions can prove to be strenuous if they are overdone. Simple acts such as; brainstorming, overthinking and decision making happens in the human mind and most times, this puts a strain on it.

I disagree with placing any importance between the body and the mind but some people place one above the other, neglecting one which suffers and affects the other.

The mind is often neglected, even as it is overused on a daily basis. The mind has its own special kind of treatment that many people do not know about.

Meditation is the minds “medication”. It reduces stress, increases calmness and even boosts the mood and keeps ones emotions in check. Meditation brings forth inner peace that keeps the mind sane and also affects the body in a good way.

Having a sound and healthy mind is the first step to enjoy living. It helps increase ones focus and can help one to multitask. Meditation and Medications can go hand in hand, treating the mind with care the same way the body has been made a priority all these years.

A sound mind, aids a sound body and a sound body without a sound mind is like an empty vessel fuelled by the pressure to exist with no reason to live.

Take a good amount of time from your twenty four hours everyday to work on your mind and talk to yourself. Be selfish about your mind the same way you’re selfish about your body.

Abass Lateefat Elizabeth writes from Lagos State University.